THE COOKERY 01-' VENISON 309 



CheCiots, or on the Welsh marches, where the heather 

 is shooting up among the bracken and the air in the 

 warm spring season is fragrant with the balmy thyme. 

 The best fallow venison we ever tasted came of deer 

 escaped from a fenceless park, who had been ranging 

 free for several generations through woodlands and 

 sheep pastures skirted by cornfields. 



As for the roe, he deserves far more respect than 

 is paid to him. We have heard what the Baron of 

 Bradwardine had to say on the subject, and it is true 

 that he is never altogether out of season ; but both 

 buck and doe are at their best in the height of summer, 

 before the rut. For some reason, that is specially 

 noticeable in the well-conditioned denizens of the 

 German woods. In a Scottish shooting box the roe 

 always comes in conveniently for soup or pasty, stew 

 or ; fry ; ' but he is more appreciated in Germany, and 

 pour cause. His is the only venison generally pro- 

 curable. He swarms in the woods and is always 

 super-excellent, for he feeds in the meadows by 

 meandering brooks, and takes free toll of the crops 

 with impunity. We know nothing much better than 

 a tender rehriicke or saddle, served with an artistic 

 sauce piquante. By the way, that is one of the 

 best dishes in the menus of the Cologne hotels, 

 although too often it is injured by inadequate hanging. 



